Andy Blyth

Web Developer, Photographer, 2nd Dan Sensei, Husband, Dad

C# Developer

Sensei

Father

Husband

Building things and stuff

Since 2003 I have been working mainly within the 'web applications' sector. I have also worked on several Desktop Applications (Winforms and WPF). For the most part, I have developed using asp.net (both webforms
and MVC). The projects I have worked on in the past are large bespoke projects, that don't lend themselves to pre-packaged applications.

I also build websites, I normally build these using SDL Tridion, and Umbraco (including uCommerce). I can also work with WordPress, Magento, and other various platforms. In the past I have helped develop three different bespoke CMS and eCommerce platforms, working with the likes of JD Sports.

I work hard to keep up to date with what is going on in the world of development and digital media. I am always tinkering with something new. You can find some of my experiments in my portfolio, and even within this site! (Enter the Konami Code and see what happens)

Nidan Black Belt in Traditional Jiu Jitsu

I currently training at Ruschroft Jiu Jitsu Club, HQ of IJJO. I have been training under Sensei Neville Kershaw for several years now. I am a 2nd Dan Black Belt in Traditional Japanese Jiu Jitsu, which differs from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It is more focused on Self Defence rather than grappling and ground work. I split my time between training and mentoring the senior coloured belts.

This helps to keep me in some sort of shape. Getting the blood pumping on a regular basis. I gain a lot from Jiu-Jitsu, self-discipline, improved health, focus, confidence.

My Boys!

I have two boys, Sam and Orson. They mean the world to me and I can not imagine life without them. My heart bursts every time I see them.

They are the funniest two people I have ever met, and can always make me smile, no matter how hard my day has been!

Yes, they test me at times, but they are the most important people in my life and the reason I work as hard as I do.

Behind every great man, is a great woman rolling her eyes

Never a truer statement in my case, my wife, my rock. She puts up with so much, she makes sure me and the boys are dressed and presentable. I could real off a list of things she does for me, but it would be a long list, as basically she does everything.

Meeting in college, after months of her stalking me. I finally got up the confidence to speak to her and the rest is history.

Andrew has worked on several website and design projects for us and each time has provided a highly professional service which exceeded our expectations. I would have no hesitation in recommending him.

Marie Edge

Andrew has developed websites for us and clients over the years. His professionalism, dedication to the job at hand and organisational abilities are an asset for anyone who appoints Andy. He consistently shows an indomitable ability to overcome challenges and provide creative solutions, and he is a pleasure to work with or alongside. I would have no reservations whatsoever in recommending Andy.

Paul Clement

Andy is keen, hardworking and learns quickly.

David McHugh

Andrew is a skilled and experienced Microsoft .net developer who has worked on a variety of complex projects for us. He is enthusiastic and has a good understanding of internet technologies.
I would readily recommend Andy for a developer role.

Mike Ryan

Andrews performance working as a Web Developer for Idaho proved that he will be a valuable addition to any organisation.
During his time at Idaho Andrew demonstrated excellent skills in a variety of different programming languages including ASP.Net, VBscript and Javascript. His understanding of SQL is also very good.

Mike Gregson

During his time at Idaho Andrew worked on a variety of complex projects where he was able to put his ASP.NET, DHTML and DBA skills to good use. Andy would make a very valuable contribution to any development team.

Seán Maloney

I worked with Andy for around 2 years and at times I amazed at the knowledge and problem solving skills he posses. He has the knowledge and skills to cover almost all area in high level programming and web based technologies. His problem solving and management skills are excellent and he is a great mentor too. From my experience, I wholeheartedly recommend Andy, he is really an asset to any organisation and he is very capable of fulfilling any duties entrust him with.

Eldhose Mani

Andrew and the Redstar Team have worked on a number of websites for us and have produced excellent results that have always delighted out clients.
With particular expertise in e-commerce sites, Andrew is professional but always easy to work with. He doesn't hide behind jargon and I would recommend him to anyone looking to develop a new website or upgrade an existing one.

Guy Parker

As technical director at Redstar, Andy has helped me grow my skills and guide me along my journey here with both his technical knowledge and his managerial skills, helping me to get the best out of my work. He is a great asset to the company.

James Newbert-Breen

Andrew is a great wealth of knowledge from ASP to Microsoft Server Hosting. Andrew's experience as a technical director means that he can help with almost any area of the web, including fixing PHP bugs, content writing and teaching SASS.

Andy Kinsey

Andrew has a lot of experience when it comes to web development work and has a lot of knowledge of how to keep on track with both clients and colleagues.

Anna Green

Education & Employment

Dept Senior Developer

2018-Present

Here I am one of the Senior Developers. I work mainly with SDL Tridion / Web 8. I work mainly with DXA and DD4T, but also support older sites using more Traditional SDL Tridion implementations.

I still do a small amount of work with Umbraco, but my main focus is SDL Tridion. I support Junior Developers and also line manage a couple of developers.

Here I am one of the Senior Developers. I work mainly with SDL Tridion / Web 8. I work mainly with DXA and DD4T, but also support older sites using more Traditional SDL Tridion implementations.

I still do a small amount of work with Umbraco, but my main focus is SDL. I support Junior Developers and also line manage a couple of developers.

We Do Code Ltd Founder and Managing Director

2015-2016

I setup We Do Code in 2015, and worked with a small group of loyal customers. After 12 months I found it difficult to balance work and family. So I made the tough decision to dissolve the business.

We Do Code had a strong focus on working with larger bespoke projects.

At We Do Code, I called on my 10+ years’ experience in the industry, working with .net on large bespoke solutions.

RedStar Creative Ltd Technical Director

2009-2015

The most senior technical person within RedStar Creative. I provided technical direction on business decision making. As the Technical Director, I worked on single projects, and managed many projects developed by my staff. I kept close contact with the Managing Director, Client Account Managers and Project Managers. I was responsible for the successful creation and delivery of the company's products to the marketplace. I managed technical risks and opportunities. I made decisions on key software design and software implementations with the development team. I scheduled of tasks including tracking dependencies, managing change requests, and guaranteeing quality of deliveries. I also advised the team on technical best practices.

Idaho Technology Ltd C# Web Developer

2007-2009

I worked here until I was made redundant. My role at Idaho was as a Web Developer. I focused on building custom controls that interacted with the database (including stored procedures). This allowed the front end developer to customise the HTML and CSS.

I was responsible, with another developer, for building the new .net version of the CMS. I also set up and managed an SVN server as before my employment no version control system was in place. I have worked with JQuery and web services to build richer interactive controls. When needed I also worked on the front-end development. On occasion I have worked with ActionScript 2.0 and 3.0.

Visuality Ltd C# Web Developer

2005-2007

I worked with the .NET environment, using both C# and VB 6 to integrate websites with Visuality’s CMS system. I worked with MSSQL, XHTML, CSS and JavaScript.

Whilst maintaining legacy sites I also worked with ASP, VB6. I developed new features for the systems. Including a new search functionality in the ‘i2i’ email marketing system. Additions to the CMS such as the new ‘PageBuilder’ system. I was also involved in translating parts of the CMS from classic ASP/VB6 to C# .NET. I was responsible for managing the support team.